Swimming pool light



Jul 15, 1969 J. N. BOND 3,456,103

SWIMMING POOL LIGHT Original Filed May 2, 1966 m mwa'ozz JOKE/7H m 50w (Ea/W United States Patent Ofiice 3,456,103 Patented July 15, 1969 3,456,103 SWIMMING POOL LIGHT Joseph N. Bond, 28 Sarina Drive, Commack, N.Y. 11725 Continuation of application Ser. No. 546,630, May 2, 1966. This application Nov. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 681,296

Int. 'Cl. F21v 31/.00 US. Cl. 240-26 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A light fixture for a swiming pool has a waterproof case having a front lens backed by a grounded metal wire mesh. The case has a rigid conduit through which the power cable extends from an electric source to the lamps. The conduit is hook shaped so as to removably support the lamp from a rail.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 546,630, filed May 2, 1966, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to a lighting fixture and more particularly it relates to an improved illumination device for lighting a swimming pool below its water line.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a submersible, Waterproof, swimming pool light fixture adapted for a non-permanent type of installation which includes a supporting conduit that is readily attachable and detchable to the pool structure or any other fixed part thereof and further in which the electrical conductors to the light fixture pass through the conduit and are not permanently connected to the utility supplied power, the electrical connection thereto being made by means of a standard receptacle plug.

Another object of this invention relates to the light fixture embodying a waterproof casing body in which is mounted one or more sealed beam lamps and a lens closure for the body detachably secured thereto in water tight relationship.

A still further object of this invention is to provide behind the lens a metallic open mesh which is detachably connected to the casing body interiorily thereof and which has a grounded connection assuring safety from electrical shock even if the lens and lamp are both broken and the interior of the casing body becomes filled with water.

Other objects, advantages, and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the lighting fixture with part of the casing body broken away to show details of construction.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the lighting fixture with parts of the lens broken away to show details of construction.

FIGURE 3 shows in side elevation and partly in vertical section the lighting fixture and its supporting conduit in operative mounted position on a part of a pool structure.

The present invention is shown, see FIGURE 3, as applied to under-water illuminating devices for a swimming pool formed in any desired conventional manner having a wall 12. The wall 12 is provided with a pipe standard 14 which may have a rail 16 and which standard 14 serves a purpose as will be hereinafter described. The pool 10 is shown filled with water to the level 18.

A lighting fixture indicated generally at 20 is shown in FIGURE 3 as submerged below the level 18 of the water in the pool and is held suspended therein by a rigid tubular metal conduit 22 provided at its lower end with a flange 24 seated on the top wall 26 of a housing or casing body 28. Screws or bolts 30 rigidly secure the flange 24 to the casing body Wall 26. The conduit 22 is of a somewhat inverted U-shape formation having a long leg 32, an upright portion 34 and a short leg 36 preferably parallel to leg 32. A suitable readily attachable and detachable clamp 38 secures the short leg 36 to the pool pipe standard 14 as clearly shown in FIGURE 3, thus rigidly suspending the lighting fixture 20 below the water level 18 and in vertical parallel relationship to the pool wall 12. Preferably the extent of the upright portion 34 of the conduit 22 is such as to have the lighting fixture 20 close to or abutting the surface of the pool wall 12.

The casing body 28 of the lighting fixture 20 is open at its front and is formed in one piece to provide the top wall 26, a bottom wall 40, a rear wall 42, and side walls 43, 44, Formed at the outer edge of the casing body walls is a continuous outwardly extending flange 46. A transparent lens 48 of Lucite or any other suitable plastic provides a front closure for the open front of the casing body 28 and is formed with a continuous outwardly extending flange 50 along its perimetrical edge that is complemental to the casing body flange 46, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. The lens flange 50 is detachably secured to the casing body flange 46 as by screws (not shown) in the manner well known. If desired there may be provided between the flanges 46 and 50, a suitable seal, gasket or layer of sealing compound. To further render the connection of the flanges 46, 50 watertight there is provided a continuous channel shaped gasket 52 which snugly receives the flanges 46, 50 and the side walls of which frictionally and tightly engage the outer side Walls of the flanges in the manner shown. The channel shaped gasket 52 may be made of rubber or plastic and is both flexible and resilient.

Secured in any desired manner as by the bolts 55 to the upper wall 26 of the casing body and located interiorly thereof are a pair of lamp supporting brackets 56 (only one being shown), see FIGURE 3. The brackets 56 each have a downwardly inwardly inclined annular arm 58 in which is detachably mounted a sealed beam lamp 60 in the manner well known in the art. An electric wire or conductor 62 is connected at one end to the socket 64 of the lamp 60, the conductor 62 being passed through the conduit 22 and out of the lower open end of the clamped short arm 36, see FIGURE 3. The conductor having a conventional plug at its other end (not shown) for operative connection with an electric receptacle supplying electric current. It is to be noted that with the open end of the conduit arm 36 facing downwardly and remote from the water in the pool that there is no likelihood of any water entering the conduit to find its way into the interior of the casing body 28.

Arranged across the opening of the casing body 28 and directly to the rear of the lens 48 is a metal wire mesh 66 having an upper bent over portion 68 secured to the upper wall 26 of the casing body by the bracket arm 56 and screws 55. A ground wire 70 and plug 72 provides an eifective ground for the wire mesh 64.

In the form and size of the housing or casing body 28 shown, two lamps 60 are utilized in side-by-side relationship, each mounted on a bracket arm 58. In order to hold the lamps 60 and bracket arms fixed together in their effective operative position the bracket arms 58 are interconnected by a detachable rigid clamp 76, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

It is to he noted that the conduit 22 provides a rigid mount or support for the submerged lighting fixture 20, the arrangements having the following features and advantages:

(I) Can be removed from pool and stored if pool is disassembled during winter season.

(2) Relamping or servicing is performed with light completely removed from water.

(3) Electrical service enters through hollow mount eliminating the need for water-tight sealing of electrical connections. Electrical service does not come in contact with pool water.

(4) Grounded metallic mesh inside lens assures safety from electrical shock even if lens and lamp are both broken and light becomes filled with water.

(5) No heat problem since light is completely surrounded by water. Permits use of high wattage lamps.

(6) Wide angle of light dispersion.

(7) Requires no alteration or modification of pool,

(8) Easilyinstalled.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An underwater illuminating apparatus for use in a swimming pool, comprising in combination:

a watertight housing open at its front,

two sealed beam incandescent electric lamps mounted within said housing,

an electric conductor connected to said lamps,

an inverted U-shape, hollow, rigid conduit having substantially parallel legs of unequal length, the interior of said conduit communicating with the interior of said housing with said electric conductors carried by said conduit,

a detachable clamp engaging the shorter of said legs for securing said conduit to a wall of the swimming pool in order to support said light housing in the pool below the surface of the water,

a translucent lens in watertight engagement with said housing at its open front,

a metallic electrically conducting mesh extending across the open front of said housing,

said mesh disposed inside said translucent lens and supported independently of said lens, and

means for grounding said mesh.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,904 6/ 1916 Hendricks 24026 2,095,657 8/1936 Burgess 24041.5 2,562,064 7/ 1951 Rutledge 240--3 3,192,379 6/1965 Degarmo 24011.2 3,265,884 8/1966 Kelley 240'11.2 X 3,364,347 1/ 1968 Russell 24026 3,265,804 8/1966 Berger 24051.11 X

NORTON ANSI-1BR, Primary Examiner M. H. HAYES, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 24041.55, 102 

